Weft detector with removable finger



June 3, 1947. R. e. TURNER WEFT DETECTOR WITH REMOVABLE FINGER FiledMarch 18, 1946 8 8 R 2 E Q N I w n M T T 6 5 w m M V F6 6WD]. m M 4 F CPatented June 3, 1947 WEFT DETECTOR WITH REMOVABLE FING Richard G.Turner, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works,Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 18,1946, Serial No. 655,192

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in electric weft detectors forlooms and it is the general object of the invention to provide anelectric weft detector so constructed that the detector fingers can bereadily removed for replacement.

Certain types of electric weft detectors employ elongated detectorfingers in the form of wires which contact a ferrule n the bobbin beingdetected at the time of weft exhaustion. As heretofore made the fingershave been mounted on a carrier or the like in such manner that theycould not be removed without disturbing the detector and particularlythe slide bearings for the.

- a permanent set.

fingers. It is an important object of my present invention to provide aweft detector with bearings so constructed that the detector fingers canbe deflected laterally because oftheir resilience to be fitted into andremoved from the bearings.

It is another object of my present invention to provide a mounting orbase for an electric weft detector provided with open bearing slotswhich open in different directions so that they effectively hold thedetector finger in correct position during normal operation but willpermit'removal of the finger by manual deflection thereof.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of myinvention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an electric weft detector made accordingto my present invention,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the detector looking in the direction of arrow3, Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the base forming part of the electricweft detector, one part of the base being shown spaced from the otherpart in the position it assumes during assembly, and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the detectorfingers can be deflected for application to or removal from the base.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown a support H] which ismounted on the loom and may be either stationary or moved away from thelay at the time of a weft replenishing operation. The bobbin B isprovided with a metallic ferrule F which is normally covered with weft,

but as weft exhaustion approaches the ferrule is uncovered so that itcan electrically connect two detector fingers H and I2. These fingersare preferably metallic and are similar todetector fingers heretoforeused, being made of steel and sufficiently resilient to permit aconsiderable amount of bending or deflection without taking Eachdetector finger has a small collar or shoulder 13 rigid with respectthereto and may have a bobbin engaging tip [4.

The base on which the detector fingers are mounted comprises a lowerpart 20 and an upper part 2| both of which are preferably made ofinsulating material, such as fiber, plastic, or a phenol-condensationproduct. The bottom part 20 has a forward bod 22 having lateralextensions 23 perforated as at 24 to receive bolts 25 passing throughthe support Ill. Extending rearwardly from the body 22 is an arm 26having a rear head 21 provided with laterally spaced upwardly openingbearing slots 28 and 29 located respectively at the right and left ofthe head 21 as viewed in Figs. 2, 5 and 6. A second head '30 extendingforwardly from the body 22 is provided with similar upwardly openingbearing slots 3! and 32 located respectively at the right and left ofthe detector. Slots 28 and 3| are vertically aligned, as are also slots29 and 32, and their bottoms are horizontally aligned and rounded toprovide a substantial sliding bearing surface for the fingers II and I2.

The second or upper part 2| of the detector base has a body 35 providedwith right and left integral arms 36 and 31, respectively, formed withhorizontally opening right and left bearing slots 38 and 39,respectively. The body 35 has a pair of holes 40 extending verticallytherethrough to receive screws 4| which are tapped into holes 42 in thebottom member 29. When the base is assembled the upper part 2| will beresting on top of the body 22 and arm 26 and will be held firmly inposition by the screws 4| with the bottom or inner end of slot 38aligned with the bottoms of slot 23 and 3!. These three slots form agroup of bearings for detector finger ll;

Similarly, the bottom of slot 39 is aligned with the bottoms of slots 29and 32 to form a group of bearings for fingers I2. As shown particularlyin Fig. 6 slot 38 lies between a relatively short top projection 45 ofarm 36 overhanging a longer bottom projection 46. A similar construction is used for the slot 39.

The front head 30 may be provided with a horizontal rib 50 and has afront wall 5! pro- ,vided with screw holes 52 to receive attaching 1screws 53. These screws hold the forward broad ends 55 of sheet metalsprings 56 against the wall BI and may also hold the terminals of wires51 in position. These wires are connected to an external loomcontrolling detecting circuit not shown.

The springs 56 are bowed downwardly and then upwardly at their'rear endsand are perforated at -58 to receive the fingers H and I2 at pointsbetween rear head 2! and the intermediate bearing part 2|. The rear freeends. of the springs are narrower than are their front ends and bearagainst the shoulders l3 for the purpose of holding the detectorfingersrearwardly but yieldingly in detecting position for engagementwith the bobbin B during detecting operations of the loom.

When assembling the detector, the wires or fingers II and I2 can beinserted in their respective slots 38 and 39 of the top support part 2!and then lowered from the position indicated in Fig. 6 to that shown forinstance in Fig. 2. During the lowering operation the detectors willfallinto their corresponding slots in the front and back heads3l]andZ'l, after which the screws M will secure the top part 20 to thebottom part 2!. After this assembly is made it will not be necessary toremove the top part 2| and for certain features of my inventionthe toppart could be made integral with the lower part.

During operation, the finger II and I2 will bemoved forwardly in theirbearing slots at each period of weft detection and when the ferrule F isuncovered it will electrically connect the fingers so that the wires 51'will be connected for the purpose of closing the aforesaid loomcontrollingcircuit not shown.

It for any reason one or the other of the feeler fingers II or I2 shouldbecome damaged and require removal this can be effected merely bybending the intermediate part of the finger laterally so that saidintermediate part can move out of the associated slot 38 or 39, and upover the short projection '45, after which the finger can be removedfrom its slotsin the front and back heads. When replacing with anewfinger the procedure may be as indicated inFig. '7, the new finger beingplaced as indicated at I in the corresponding slots of the front andback heads and resting on the short projection 45. The new detector isthen bent laterally as indicated at II until it passes under theprojection 45 and snaps into the horizontal open slot to assume thestraight position shown at III. It is to be understood that when a newfinger is applied to the detector its forward end, the end at the leftin Fig. 1, will be passed through the perforations in the narrow freeend of the associated spring 55 prior to fitting to the base. When thedamaged finger'is removed it will be slipped out of the springperforations 58,,and when the new finger is to be applied it will firstbe fitted through the perforation.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be made therein by those skilled inthe' art withoutdeparting from'the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

lgIn an electric weft detector having two spaced resilient detectorfingers, a base made of electric insulating material and having formedtherein for each finger three open bearing slots oneof which is betweentheother two, said one earing lot openingin a, directiondifferent from...'bearings one of which in each group opens in a direction difierentfrom the direction of opening of the other twobearin slots of the group,and two elongated resilient electric detector members each extendingthrough and guided by and normally held in position by the bearings ofthe corresponding group, each detector member due to the resiliencethereof being defiectable laterally for removal from one of said openslot bearings corresponding thereto to enablesaid detector member to bethereafter removed from the remainder of bearings corresponding thereto.Y 3. In an electric weft detector having a pair of elongated electricdetector fingers, a base made of electric insulating material and havingfor each finger open slot bearing means one part of which is between twoother parts of the bearing means, said one part opening in a directiondifferent from the direction .of opening of at least one of the other ofsaid parts, each finger. being resilient and normally held in positionby and slidable relativelyto the open slot bearing v means correspondingthereto. but deflectable laterally due to. the resilience thereofforgremovalqfrom thecorresponding one bearing part to enable su sequentremoval from the other corresponding bearing parts.

4. In an electric welt detector, mechanism. having' a pair of elongatedelectric: detector fingers, a base made of electric insulating material,and having for each finger front and back .openslot bearings betweenwhich is located an intermediate open slot bearing, said front andbackboarings for each finger opening in substantiallylthe same directionand the corresponding, intermediate bearing opening in adifferentfiirection, each finger being resilient and normally located inthe corresponding bearings and heldgin-posir tion thereby and slidable.relatively thereto, each finger due to the resilience thereofbeingdeflectable laterally for removal from-its intermediate bearing andbeing thereafter removable from-its front and back bearings.

5. In an electric weft detector mechanismhaving a pair of elongatedelectricldetector fingers,

a base made of electricflinsulating.materiall'and having for eachfinger; front. and backopen, slot bearings between which is locatedaniritermediate open slot bearing, said front and back; bearings foreach finger opening substantially, vertically and the correspondingintermediate bearing, opening substantiallyhorizontally. each fingerbeing resilient and normally located .in the correspondingbearings andheld in position thereby and slidable relatively thereto, eachfinger'due to the resilience thereof beingdefiectableilaterally forremoval from its intermediatebearingand being thereafter removable fromits front and back bearings.

6. In an electric weft detector mechanism .hav ing a pair of elongatedelectric detector fingersra base made of electric insulating. materialand having for. each finger end. open. slot bearing means and also,intermediate open (slot bearing means, one of said bearing means foreach finger opening vertically and the other bearing means thereforopening horizontally, each finger bein resilient and normally located inand guided by the corresponding bearing means, said finger due toresilience thereof being defiectable for movement out of one of saidbearing means therefor and being thereafter removable from the otherbearing means therefor.

7. In an electric weft detector having a pair of elongated electricdetector fingers, a base made of electric insulating material and havingformed therein for each finger three open bearing slots one of which isbetween the other two, said one bearing slot for each finger opening ina direction different from the direction of opening of the other twocorresponding bearing slots, each detector finger being resilient andextending through the corresponding slots and normally held therein, anda spring for each finger supported by said base and having an endthereof in engagement with the corresponding finger between said onebearing slot therefor and one of the other bearing slots therefor, theintermediate part of each finger due to the resilience thereof beingdeflectable laterally for removal from its one bearing slot while inengagement with said spring and being thereafter removable from itsother bearing slots.

8. In an electric weft detector having a pair of elongated electricdetector fingers, a base made of electric insulating material and havingformed therein for each finger three open bearing slots one of which isbetween the other two, said one bearing slot for each finger opening ina direction different from the direction of opening of the other twocorresponding bearing slots, each detector finger being resilient andextending through its slots and normally held therein, and a spring foreach finger supported by the corresponding base and having one endthereof perforated to receive said finger at a point between thecorresponding one bearing slot and one of the other associated bearingslots, the intermediate part of each finger due to the resiliencethereof being defiectable laterally for movement out of its one bearingslot while extending through the spring therefor and being thereafterremovable from its other bearing slots and from the correspondingspring.

9. In an electric weft detector having two normally straight resilientdetector fingers, a base made of electric insulating material and havingformed therein for each finger three open bearing slots the bottoms ofwhich are in alignment, one of said bearing slots for each finger beingbetween the other two bearing slots and opening in a direction differentfrom the direction of opening of the other two corresponding bearingslots, each detector finger engaging the bottoms of the correspondingbearing slots and normally held therein, that part of the finger in theone bearing slot corresponding thereto due to the resilience of thefinger being defiectable laterally for removal from its one bearing slotand then returning to a straight form and being thereafter removablefrom its other bearing slots.

10. In an electric weft detector having two normally straight resilientdetector fingers, a base made of electric insulating material and havingfor each finger open slot bearing means, each detector finger normallylocated in the corresponding open slot bearing means, each bearing meansbeing so constructed as to prevent removal of the corresponding fingerby a motion lateral thereof so long as the finger is straight, saidbearing means for each finger being so constructed that the finger whendeflected laterally due to the resilience thereof can be removed fromits bearing means.

RICHARD G. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,283,105 Turner May 12, 19422,384,979 Turner Sept. 18, 1945 2 392.913 Geier Jan. 15. 1946

